The World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou is about 30km northwest of Ouarzazate. It is a collection of kasbahs (fortified houses) making up a small village or ksar (a collection of kasbahs) set on a hill.
Only about 10 families now live here, though at one time probably about 200-300 people inhabited this picturesque place, and it is thought that there have been houses here since the 16th century.
You reach the ksar by walking from the small modern village on the road and over stepping stones across a river. You can walk through the kasbahs and even reach the top of the hill where there is a fortified granary (agadir) from which you get stunning views of the surrounding countryside. If Ait Benhaddou seems familiar to you, it may be something to do with the fact that it has been used as the setting for various films including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and Gladiator.
